The unknown
by GinaRawr
Summary: One-shot fic based on "Always" but my version, with a bit of a twist... Read and enjoy, don't forget to Review, Thanks:)


_**Hey! One-shot fic based on my version of "Always" with a bit of a twist;) **_

_**The present is in Bold and the past is in Italics.**_

_**Hope you enjoy.**_

_**Sorry if its hard to follow or confusing, I have wacky ideas ;D **_

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**Kate leaned over and wiped away the tendrils of hair dangling in front of her face. The morning light crept in through the curtains at the end of the room. Until, to her surprise, someone blocked her view, he stood there with a boyish grin painted on his face, clearly liking the view that was in front of his eyes. For some reason this creeped Kate out the slightest bit, but she pushed that thought out of her mind for now, along with the other disheartening thoughts she had of the man before her.**

**He walked slowly around the messed-up double bed towards Kate and leaned in to plant a small, tender kiss on the top of her head. She smiled at the small, yet thoughtful, gesture from her partner. Looking over at the bedside clock on the table stand, she decided that it was time to get out of bed. Pulling the covers away from her slim lithe body, she heard him groan in pleasure at the sight of her, she grinned to herself; she liked the effect her body had on him, but there was no time for that today. She had to go see Martha, Martha and Alexis.**

**It had been 4 months since that awful night, the night that Kate and Castle had been driving home from the concert that Castle had treated her to.**

_They had been working on a murder case together, as usual. Halfway through the case, Kate had received a call from her dad. As soon as she heard the jolly tone of voice coming through the precinct telephone her stomach dropped, she knew it wasn't good. Jim Beckett was drunk. Kate hadn't seen her dad drunk since her mum died, he was what people called 'a bad drunk.'_

_"Beckett? Are you alright?" Castle had appeared next to her desk, looking at her in a way she was now used to, even if it was slightly unnerving, it was like he could see right through her facade._

_"My dad, he's..."_

_"Kate, go." Castle encouraged, he understood that she had to go and look after him: to make sure he wasn't careless, to make sure he was safe._

_"Thanks for-" Kate started but Castle had already begun ushering her out of the bull pen into the lift._

_Kate had got back to the city after a day and a half at her dad's, trying with all her strength to sort him out. Every year. Every year around this time he got like this. But never drunk, never ever drunk._

_She wondered what made this year different, then she remembered the argument she'd had with him, he felt like he'd lost both of his little girls. Jim Beckett didn't think twice about his own daughter or how she might be feeling. Johanna Beckett was her mother after all._

_Trying to bring back some normality, Castle brought Kate a steaming hot coffee in the morning and placed it on her desk. She smiled as their fingers had their daily morning brush. She knew, despite the concern lingering in his eyes, Castle wouldn't ask unless she started the conversation about her dad, which was just how Kate liked it. Instead of dragging others down into the gloom that she found herself in that morning, she stood up and walked over to the murder board, checking up on what she had missed in the last day and a half._

**As she exited the bedroom, and padded silently down the stairs and moved towards the kitchen, she heard footsteps behind her. Kate slowed her walking to a snails pace and waited for her hunter to catch up. He slid his hands around her smooth waist and pulled her close to him breathing in her sweet smell of cherries and yesterday's perfume.**

**"Not now," she breathed so silently that it was barely recognisable, but somehow he picked it up and backed off, knowing that she needed space. Kate then continued to the kitchen, opening the fridge to extract some fresh orange juice and picked out some red grapes that had been freshly bought for her.**

_Castle, knowing that Beckett would've had a rough day and a half, decided that she should have some time off, time to let her hair down. He bought the tickets to some band that she had mentioned a while ago. Castle himself had no interest in them but he knew she'd enjoy it, which is what mattered most for him. He presented them to her when they had a moment to themselves; she was thrilled, over the moon, which was a pleasant surprise for Castle, as he had been hedging his bets with this one._

_The rest of the day past quickly, they caught a break in the case with a big lead and managed to crack the guy in the interrogation room. Castle and Beckett left the interrogation room, with matching grins on their faces, Beckett's because she had solved another case and Castle's because he was gazing at Beckett's ass. Breaking out of his Beckett bubble, Castle snapped back into reality and stated that he would pick her up at 7pm sharp. She agreed, he left, and she was alone again._

**Kate could hear the television in the other room, he was occupied for now. She told herself she wasn't hungry and wondered back to the bedroom, mentally flicking through her wardrobe deciding what to wear for the day's events.**

**Through her daydreaming Kate had reached the wardrobe and picked out a baby blue dress that matched the blistering weather outside. She would be cool enough in it, but also presentable. Kate moved over to the mirror to tie up her brown, wavy hair in a bun. She secured the wispy bits with a flower slide, which completed the look.**

_Kate was dressed and ready at 6pm, an hour to wait for Castle. Just as she had picked up a book to pass her time away a knock sounded at the door. Curious, she placed the book down on the coffee table and stood up and looked over at the clock, 6:04pm. It couldn't have been Castle, he was 56 minutes early, but, as she pulled back the door, sure enough Richard Castle was stood there, beaming down at her as always._

**She didn't want him to worry about where she was, so Kate wrote a note to say that she was at Martha and Alexis' apartment for the day. Halfway through writing she felt a warm, soft hand cover the surface of her right shoulder. She had been caught, there was no way he'd let her go alone now.**

**"I'll go get changed then." He whispered so gently, but somehow the words still stung Kate's ears like they were poison. Tearing the piece of paper from the pad she threw it in the bin, with good accuracy as well. Kate smiled at her little self achievement, allowing herself the simple joy.**

_"Why are you here so early?" Kate inquired._

_"Why are you dressed already?" He ignored the question and turned the subject off of him, as always._

_"Because, er well, because I knew you would turn up early." Kate had a habit of telling white lies to this man, to cover up her feelings._

_"You can't fool me Beckett, not one bit."_

_"We might as well go then; I'll get my bag."_

_Castle, who was still stood in the doorway, watched on as Kate fluttered around trying to find her bag. She left the room, looking elsewhere and Castle's eyes landed on a book sitting on the coffee table, curious he tip toed over to the book, which he recognised immediately. 'Frozen Heat', she'd bought it, and, better still, she had actually gone to read it. Castle was astounded; he couldn't fight the broad smile escaping at the corners of his mouth. Wrapped up in his own thoughts he hadn't seen Kate come back in the room, she stood there looking at him, her heart caught in her throat as she saw that grin, the grin that made her heart skip a beat._

**They arrived at Martha and Alexis' with Kate holding on to him for support, she hated coming here with him. It just wasn't right.**

**Martha opened the door and greeted Kate with a sympathetic smile, Alexis followed after with a warm embrace. Tears prickled in her eyes and threatened to fall. Kate looked away, she couldn't show her vulnerable side now, not in front of people she had to be strong for, so she took a deep breath and mentally boxed up her feelings for a time when she could freely express them.**

_Castle and Beckett walked out of the concert laughing uncontrollably, Beckett had let herself go, the way Castle liked, and she had enjoyed herself immensely. It was the perfect night, Castle couldn't have been happier, he had planned to tell her tonight; tonight was the night to express his true feelings for the woman he loved with all his heart._

_Kate hadn't felt like this in a long, long time. She felt whole with him, complete. When was the time to tell him? To tell him what she really felt about her partner, who was more than a partner. It was the perfect night, so it must be the perfect time?_

**Alexis brought Martha, Kate and Josh a drink. Alexis hated Josh, she never felt so strongly about someone but he shouldn't be with Beckett, it wasn't meant to be like this. Kate was meant to be with her dad, they both loved each other, it was right. Alexis couldn't bring back the dead though and she had to be strong for Martha, she had to be the grown up now. Handing over the coffees to Beckett, Josh and Martha she noticed the glisten in Kate's eyes, not the good kind either, the kind that's present when people are fighting back tears, with all their might.**

_Castle and Beckett climbed into a yellow taxi and gave the address to the taxi driver, who, strangely, was sweating, which was unusual as the weather conditions weren't sweltering. In fact they were nearly the opposite._

_Castle thought nothing of it but Beckett, being the detective, nearly suggested to get another cab, the cabbie looked dodgy with bloodshot eyes. Castle noticed she was getting agitated and carefully placed his hand on hers and gently squeezed it in reassurance. Kate got the message and relaxed into the back seat and she interlocked her fingers with his. She heard a sharp intake of breath next to her and a smile spread across her face._

_Castle had a hundred and one thoughts running wildly through his head, what did this mean? Could they take their relationship to the next level tonight? Was she finally ready? Had 'The Wall' come tumbling down? Castle, was back in his Beckett bubble once more, but he soon snapped out of it when he felt her breath wash over his bare neck. He slowly turned his head to face his muse, who was grinning from ear to ear. She was clearly pleased with the closeness of their bodies, and so was he._

_Both of them were so enclosed in their own little world that they didn't notice the slight changes in movement of the taxi cab, gentle at first then all of a sudden the jolts got more and more frantic. Beckett reluctantly pulled away from Castle's eyes and shouted to the driver._

_"Hey! Watch it!"_

_The driver gave no response to even hearing her wild shouts at him. He looked completely out of it; white as a ghost his eyeballs rolling into the back of his head as they screeched around the corner, skipping a red light. The road they were now on 42nd street, cars honked horns and swayed around Castle and Beckett's cab to avoid a collision. Castle was shaking the driver trying to pull him to his senses, or to even grab the steering wheel._

_Beckett was pulling Castle back to protect him from what she saw ahead, a turning truck, stopping all traffic._

_Beckett was a smart woman she knew what the outcome would be she just didn't want to spend the last moments with her hands around the cabbies neck._

_She wanted them round the man she loved._

_Castle._

_Castle turned suddenly to find Kate on his back, pulling at his arms, screaming at him to stop. There was something about her eyes, the urgency in those green sparkly eyes that told him to gaze into them. Kate leaned into him and kissed him passionately; for both of them it wasn't just a kiss, it was a thousand words not said, a thousand moments not given, a thousand kisses in one._

_They both opened their eyes and stared longingly at each other, eyes shining with unspoken love, until the yellow taxi cab and the truck came into contact with each other._

_Kate woke up to screaming and distressed voices all around, she lifted up her head. White sparks threatened her vision, but she stayed awake as best she could. The surroundings slowly came back into focus, her mind jumped back to how she had been gazing into her partner's eyes._

_"Castle?" Was all she could manage. "Castle?!" She called louder, her voice slowly getting stronger._

_"Kate," The voice sounded like it was miles away, but as Beckett turned her head she realised that Castle was only next to her, covered in his own glistening blood._

_"Oh my God, Castle!" She tried to wipe away the blood, but it was too thick, it was gushing out everywhere. She couldn't stop it. Kate broke down in tears, her hand that was cradling his face slowly slid to the floor as she lost control of her body._

_For the final time Kate Beckett gazed into the eyes of Richard Castle and whispered,_

_"I love you."_

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_**A/N This was my first fic so I'd be so pleased if you could Review, I don't mind criticism.**_

_**Special thanks to Emma, who helped me write this, you're awesome:D **_


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